CONCLUSION

Your Baptist convention, union or other organization
needs to preserve its records and other historical material in
order to be able to document its history in the future. These
materials need to be accessible to current leaders of your Baptist
body for reference. They also need to be available to scholars
and other researchers to study, interpret, and write the history
of your Baptist body or organization.

This Manual provides guidelines for establishing and
operating a Baptist archives to meet the above needs. Initially
you may not be able to provide the ideal place, adequate funding,
or personnel for a fully operational archives, but do not wait
to begin.

Take these basic steps: secure authorization, develop
policies and procedures, designate a place, assign responsibility,
and begin the process of collecting and preserving materials
of your Baptist body or organization. Then, as resources permit,
move forward with other steps to make your archives fully operational.
Developing an archives for your Baptist body or organization
can help assure future generations that they will be able to
document and understand their heritage.

The sources described in the following bibliography
can be helpful as you establish and operate your archives. Firms
from which you can order archival supplies are also listed.

Bibliography

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Seek help from archivists and others who work in archives
or with historical collections connected with religious institutions,
universities, libraries, and your government. Contact societies
of archivists. Many of them offer helpful conferences and workshops.

In the United States the Society of American Archivists
(SAA) offers for beginning as well as experienced archivists
conferences, workshops, and publications. Publications are listed
in an online catalog. Contact the SAA office to inquire about
conferences and workshops.